New plans announced for enhancing school careers guidance

The government has announced new plans designed to ensure that young people across the country have better access to careers advice.

The Department for Education has worked with the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the Careers and Enterprise Company to develop the new careers advice strategy, which is designed to ensure students have the skills and opportunities they require in post-Brexit Britain.

As part of these efforts, £4 million has been set aside to provide training and support for at least 500 schools and colleges, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that every school and college has a dedicated careers leader by the start of the new school year.

Meanwhile, secondary schools will be expected to provide pupils with at least one meaningful interaction with businesses every year, with a particular focus on employers from science, technology, engineering and maths industries, where skills are in high demand.

Additionally, £5 million in funding will be spent developing 20 careers hubs linking schools, colleges, universities and local businesses, while an extra £2 million will be used to run pilots to test new ways of engaging children with future career options from an early age. These trials will focus on some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country.

Skills minister Anne Milton said: "Without access to the best possible careers support, some people will miss out on the opportunities available.

"They will continue to be held back if they don't have the right advice at the right time to make informed decisions about their future, or may not have access to the broader experiences and role models to help them develop as people."